Thursday letters: Campaigning for Houston

Copyright 2014: Houston Chronicle

Updated 3:03 pm, Thursday, May 1, 2014

Big campaign

Regarding "Our Image" (Page B11, April 22), when it comes to marketing the fourth-largest city in the nation, a city with no ethnic majority and a landmass that rivals small states, a single campaign cannot begin to cover it all.

But I would like to point out some facts and dispel a few misconceptions in the arguments put forward in the Chronicle's recent editorial.

There are distinct differences between monikers such as "Space City," identity statements like "Home to the Eighth Wonder of the World" and an ad campaign such as Houston Is… The editorial seems to lump these together under previous efforts to establish Houston's brand. But the effort to create a campaign that draws people to a city is far more complicated than a catchy slogan. Done properly, it takes into consideration that city's assets, people's existing ideas about the place and the intended audience. Moreover, a successful campaign drives people to action.

The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau's two major campaigns, My Houston (launched in 2008) and Houston Is (2013) were some of the most successful branding efforts the city has ever seen. Independent research shows higher than normal recall and association with both campaigns. In fact, that success prompted the Greater Houston Partnership to include the GHCVB in the conversations around its own campaign now being rolled out.

But while the GHP's campaign is primarily targeting millennials who may consider relocating to Houston, ours aims to educate people on the experiences Houston has to offer and encourage them to visit.

We couldn't be happier with the GHP's efforts, which integrate well with our own. We hope it's just as successful as our campaign because, in the end, Houston wins.